According to the China Daily, the rounded guestroom windows will resemble the surface texture of a table tennis racket, while the "handle" of the 500-foot hotel will act as an observation deck, allowing tourists to take in a view of the city of Huainan.

The ping-pong racket hotel is only one small part of what will be a 165-acre sporting complex comprising several oddly shaped buildings: there will also be a main stadium shaped like an American football, plus smaller stadiums and gym facilities shaped like a volleyball, soccer ball and a basketball, according to the project plan.

The sports bureau has signed an agreement with China Sports Industry Group that guarantees various sports games will be held in the stadiums over the next 20 years.

This is not the first time that sports equipment has served as the inspiration for architectural innovations. While the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai is designed as a wave to compliment the sail-shaped Burj al Arab, the Rugby World Cup was celebrated with the construction of a giant rugby ball hotel in France in 2007.